Feed-water regulator.



No.s49;so1. v PATENTED APR. 2, 1907.

. L; WESTG-OTT.

FEED WATER REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FEED-WATER REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed July 21, 1906. Serial No. 327.154.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS WEsTooTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middleport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Feed-Water Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in water-feed regulators'for boilers, and particularly to that class of feed-regulators operating automatically to govern a valve-controlling the flow of water to the boiler, the object of the invention being to provide a simple form of feed-regulator of this character which is adapted to be inexpensively manufactured, readily applied to any existing type of boiler, and designed to act efliciently to prevent the water in the boiler from rising or falling to any material extent above or below the normal waterlevel.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing the application of the automatic regulator to a stea1n-boiler. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the shell of a boiler of any of the usual constructions, and 2 the normal line or level of the water in the boiler.

The regulator constituting my invention comprises a pair of pipes 3 and 4, arranged one above the other, the pipe 3 being connected at one end with the boiler above the normal water-level, while the pipe 4 is connected at one end with the boiler below the normal water-level, as shown in Fig. 1. The pipe 3 is preferably made of iron or steel and is not designed to have any material degree of expansibility, but to serve as a conductor for the passage of steam to and from the pipe 4 and to maintain a substantial equalization of pressure in the two pipes, which are in communication at their outer ends through a union pipe or connection 5. The pipe 4, on the other hand, is made of brass or some other metal, which is adapted to expand and contract to a large extent under variations in temperature and is normally maintained in contracted condition by the column of water filling the same when the water in the boiler is atnormal level. The pipes preferably extend at a slight outward and upward inclination in order that the water therein may at diiferent periods in the operation of the device feed by gravity back into the boiler to facilitate the circulation of the steam therein to secure a rapid expansion of the pipe 4 when the water falls below the normal level.

The two pipes 3 and 4 are flexibly connected with the union pipe 5 or have a swinging or pivotal coupling connection therewith, the form of connection shown in the present instance comprising elbow-couplings 6 and 7 upon the proximate ends of said pipe, which receive and inclose connecting-tubes 8, fixed to the couplings of the pipes 3 and 4 and adapted to turn in the couplings of the pipe 5, thus allowing the latter-named pipe to swing in and out to compensate for the expansion and contraction of the pipe 4. Fulcrumed intermediately to the pipe 3, as indicated at 9, is an operating-lever 10, which has a shifting pivotal or slot-and-pin connection at its lower end with the pipe 4, as indicated at 11. thus permitting said lever to swing on the pipe 3 in one direction or the other under the action of the pipe 4 as the latter expands and contracts. The upper end of the lever is connected to one end of a cord or wire 12, which passes intermediately over a suitable guide-pulley or sheave 13 and is connected at its lower end with a suitably-weighted lever 14, fulcrumed upon the water-supply pipe 15 and connected with the stem of a valve 16, controlling the feed of water through said pipe. A turnbuckle connection or its equivalent 19 is provided between the cord and lever or arranged at some suitable point in the length of the cord to permit all slack therein to be taken up from time to time when necessary during the use of the apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows the normal position of the parts with the valve closed to cut off the flow of water to the boiler. When the water flows below the normal level, the steam flowing through the pipe 3 from the steam-space of the boiler is permitted by the discharge of the water from the pipe 4 to enter said pipe 4 and expand the same. This action rocks the lever 10 to draw upon the cord or flexible connection 12 to elevate the lever 14, and thereby open the valve 16 for the flow of water to the boiler. When the water again rises to its normal level, the pipe 4 will be filled thereby, thus driving the steam back through the pipe 3, the action of the water cooling and contracting the pipe 4, so that it will swing the lever 10 back to its normal position and allow the valve 16 to be closed through the action of the Weighted lever 14. In these operaliable to get out of order and accordingly protions it will be understood that the free eX- pansion and contraction of the pipe 4 with out resistance from the pipe 3 is permitted by reason of the pivotal connection between these pipes and the union 5, which swings in and out as the pipe 4 varies in length. Hence it will be seen that an easy operation of the parts of the device is insured, and a simple form of automatic mechanism is provided to prevent the water from rising or falling above or below its normal level.

The apparatus may be readily manufac tured at a comparatively low cost and applied in a convenient manner to any ordinary steam-boiler, and owing to its simplicity of construction it will be apparent that it is not vides a regulating apparatus which is eX tremely eHicient and reliable in action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a feed-regulator for steam-boilers, the combination with a boiler, and a watersupply pipe having a controlling-valve therein, of an expansion-pipe communicating at one end with the boiler below the normal water-level, a steam-conducting pipe communicating at one end with the boiler above the normal water-level, a flexible communicating connection between the opposite ends of said pipes, an operating-lever fulcrumed to the steam-conducting pipe and pivotally connected with the expansion-pipe, and means controlled by said lever for closing and opening the valve in the supply-pipe when the expansion-pipe expands and contracts.

2. In a feed-regulator for steam-boilers, the combination with a boiler, and a water- 1 supply pipe having a controlling-valve therein, of an expansion-pipe communicating at one end with the boiler below the normal waterlevel, a steam-conducting pipe communicating at one end with the boiler above the normal water-level, a union-pipe hingedly connected with the outer ends of said eXpansion and steam-conducting pipes and establishing communication therebetween, an operating-lever fulcrumed t0 the steam-conducting pipes and pivotally connected with the expansion-pipe, and means controlled by said lever for closing and opening the valve in the supply-pipe when the expansion-pipe expands and contracts.

3. In a feed-regulator for steam-boilers, the combination with a boiler, and a watersupply pipe having a controlling-valve therein, of an expansion-pipe communicating at one end with the boiler below the normal water-level, a steam-conducting pipe communicating at one end with the boiler above the normal waterlevel, said pipes being inclined outwardly and upwardly from the boiler, a flexible communicating connection between the opposite ends of said pipes, an operating-lever fulcrumed to the steam-conducting pipe and pivotally connected with the expansion-pipe, and means controlled by said lever for closing and opening the valve in the supply-pipe when the expansion-pipe e-X- pands and contracts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS WESTCOTT. WVitnesses:

FRED C. DREHER, FRANK BRAY. 

